


Taller

by dino_gutzz



Category: Invader Zim
Genre: Eventual Romance, Verbal Abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-15
Updated: 2020-07-20
Packaged: 2021-03-04 21:20:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,656
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25273048
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dino_gutzz/pseuds/dino_gutzz
Summary: A Irken technician lives aboard The Massive with the worst workshop for her projects due to overcrowding. An advisor- no, THE advisor- is a rather tall female that can't catch a break from her annoying Tallest that's romantically inclined with her. A Irken Elite that has just arrived to the ship was biologically conceived and looked down upon for his natural needs.All of their lives come to a halt when a rebellion captures The Massive.This is my first work on AO3 so please be respectful and review/comment on it.
Comments: 1
Kudos: 1





	1. The Advisor

_The Massive floated through space, cruising along the relatively empty blackness. The Irkens that inhabited the ship scurried about, service drones and the Tallest himself alike._

_A place even the spirits of former inhabitants were said to rest. This is the story of a technician that inhabits said ship._

Mimzer's antennae perked up as she heard the chatter between two fellow Irkens across the room.

"Two new groups of Irkens are coming to The Massive, _"_ A stout Navigator said, his mouth obscured by the cardinal mouth covering he wore. His companion was a relatively short doctor that looked somewhat disinterested in the conversation, but retained eye contact. "Interesting." The feminine Irken's antennae flicked backwards, straining to keep flattened. "But I really should be tending to the patients I just received.." She sighed, shaking her head softly, her eyes closed. "I've ought to go. Bye." The doctor walked away, almost jogging with how fast her pacing was.

Mimzer squinted at the Navigator, not detecting any sign of him realizing that the Irken he had just conversed with did not have any intrest in him nor the conversation.

Feeling bad for the male, but also somewhat curious, Mimzer sauntered towards him with her antennae raised in intrest. "Whaddya mean about two groups of newbies? Not to eavesdrop, but I didn't receive news of us even docking anytime soon." The navigator gave the ruby-eyed alien a blank stare, his own pink eyes wide without reason. "You, uh, doing ok?" Mimzer drummed a few fingers against her left thigh in anticipation for his response. A few seconds passed before the navigator spoke: "My Taller, what do you need?" 

Mimzer matted her antennae against her head, slightly concerned. "E-excuse me? I'm taller than you but you're a rank above me. Are you alright?" The navigator instantly looked panicked. "What's your rank?!" He whisper-shouted. "Technician? Listen. Are you going to answer my question, or?.." 

The navigator instantly ran away, his footsteps dully thudding against the metallic floor. Mimzer stood dumbfounded by the interaction that had just occurred. "That's Chor." Mimzer swiveled her head towards who had spoken. A Irken with soft yellow eyes stared back at her, an even softer yellow enveloping her in a dress that almost resembled that of a Tallest. She was reclining on a chair with a vaguely bored expression.

"He's developed a phobia of anybody taller than him. Traumatic experiences revolving around the Tallest and airlocks."

Mimzer squinted, scratching her arm. "I'm a lower rank than him?" "He has a phobia. Give him some slack." "By any chance, are you Eff?" The yellow-clad Irken rolled her eyes, standing up. "Yes, I am." Eff towered over Mimzer, a little over six feet of pure role model for most Irkens. Mimzer instantly wriggled her antennae in respect, albeit briefly. "Excuse me for not properly addressing you, my Taller." Eff looked at the shorter female with noticeable distaste. "Irk, you're just like Chor. You do know that I'm just an advisor, right?" 

"You are taller than me. Do you wish for me to address you differently, my Taller?" Mimzer looked up at her conversation partner with obvious respect for her. "You were acting informal talking to Chor- I don't know why you feel the need to change your tone for somebody who barely outranks you."

"But- you're taller than me, ma'am. And you still outrank me even if not by much." Mimzer held her tounge, holding back _my Taller_. Eff sighed deeply, the tips of her antennae curling slightly. "What's your name, technician?" 

"Mimzer. I've been on The Massive ever since it launched again 7 lunar cycles* ago." "Alright, _Mimzer_ , I have a task for you: Ignore me for awhile. I already have to show all the Irkens boarding today their quarters, the cafeteria, and their posts. You really shouldn't have to add to that already extensive list."

"Consider it done, Advisor." Mimzer just _had_ to address the taller Irken formally- it went against the very programming of her PAK to address her otherwise. "Good. Now go back to your quarters and- please, for the love of the Tallest- leave me alone." Mimzer turned around, walking with a decent pace back to her hub of work. She could feel the disappointed stare of Eff boring into her until she rounded a corner, though. 

_Why was she upset? Was I not properly accommodating her informal wishes?_ Mimzer looked down at her feet clad in black boots, standard for every profession under the sun in the Irken Empire. The technician decided to put the confusing thought out of her mind and instead work on repairing one of the various mechanical limbs that laid about in her workshop. After a rather long walk, due to the sheer _size_ of The Massive, Mimzer arrived at one of the various panellings in the wall.

Her PAK legs outstretched, unscrewing the artificial panelling with ease and removing the cover leading to the innards strung between the contents of The Massive and its outer walls. Mimzer ducked to fit into the opening and temporarily placed the panel against the wall. The Irken’s PAK legs maneuvered across the intricate wiring and metallic panels. Mimzer arrived at the bottom of the ship, her PAK legs retracting as she landed on the floor with a _thunk._

Her workshop- while, more of a place that she was brought due to overcrowding- was cluttered with different Irken tech in various states of disrepair. Mimzer picked up a robotic leg that had an inscribed Irken elite symbol on the outer thigh. She briefly marveled at the beautiful mechanical leg created for any elite that had lost a leg or two in a horrific fight. The Irken was the only technician that specialized in robotics in the entire Massive, due to the rest of them working at posts that were constantly repairing or replacing defective SIRs.

Yet she still had the worst quarters out of any others on the entire Massive. _Well, this is what the Tallest wants._

___________

Eff held a tablet in front of her, her PAK legs gripping it firmly. The advisor looked bored out of her mind, a facade to hide how anxious she was about the newcomers who were to board that day. She was walking through the empty hallways of The Massive.

Yet she still couldn’t get the conversation she had had with the short, mentally challenged Mimzer out of her head. She wasn’t _that_ short, but a bit too tiny for Eff to want to associate with her. Yet she still was at the back of her mind for how utterly annoying her constant repetition of the phrase _‘MY TALLER!’_ was. Eff was transfixed on the tablet, though, staring at the unbelievably stupid expressions that Irkens held in their ID photos. (The few Irkens who had actual ID photos, as extra precautions were taken for those associating with the Tallest- most were simply identified by faceless PAK numbers.)

She had been relatively bored for the majority of the day, but only because she had refused to think about the disaster that was bound to occur. Ever since former Irken elite Tallest Bile had claimed his title, everytime The Massive docked something or somebody was broken, hurt, or an otherwise unfortunate event occured.

Some through hushed whispers claimed it to be a curse; others through even quieter murmurs said it was the doing of Tallest Bile, a plot to get sadistic enjoyment from the anguish of his fellow Irkens. For the entirety of his reign that had been currently short lived, Eff had never picked up any sign that he actually _enjoyed_ what disaster befell the inhabitants of the ship whenever they docked. She was his assistant after all. 

_But, of course- Bile decides he doesn’t want to hear my voice for awhile and makes me a tour guide. Am I really an assistant to him if he decides to throw me to the curb like this?_ Eff bit her lip, a hint of anger manifesting on her face. The alien brushed past a service drone who toppled to the ground in the almost empty hallways, spilling the contents of several sugary drinks. 

“Sorry, my Taller!” The drone cried out, his voice reverberating slightly. “Shut UP!” Eff shouted without even looking back at the drone, still intensely staring at the tablet as she scrolled through the names, ranks, and ages of all the new Irkens boarding. “And do _not_ tell ANYBODY about me knocking you down!” Eff had a reputation to uphold, after all- her anger was only being expressed due to the lack of passerby.

A reputation that was going to be shattered sooner or later when Bile decided he didn't like the look of her face.


	2. Boarding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> New Irkens arrive to the ship.

The Massive began to dock, its normally retracted wheels extending to touch the ground. It was so enormous that the ground shook slightly as its full weight shifted to the floor. Loosely organized groups of Irkens stood outside on the platform that laid adjacent to the ship, each looking honored but stone-faced as they collectively gazed up at the ship.

Pikie was one of the bug-like aliens that was on the platform. He looked tired- too tired to be an Irken elite, one of the top of his class, about to board The Massive and protect his Tallest from any possible harm. His antennae had a noticeable amount of kinks in them, the end of one bent in an unnatural position. The male was slightly slouched over, leaning against a spear held in his gloved right hand. His clothes were the trademark dark shade of purple indicative of any elite.

He stood among the other elites who looked much more well-rested and professional than him, also being taller by almost 5 inches compared to him. Pikie was scratching his face with his free hand, his skin a paler tone than what was commonly thought of as "normal".  _ It is too early in the morning for this, _ Pikie thought tiredly. The Massive's extendable boarding platform came out of the side of the ship, slowly reaching for the platform beside it. As it connected, a group of scientists who had not once looked up from their tablets when the gigantic ship had come into view rushed onto the platform without any sort of greeting to whoever was inevitably stationed there.

Service drones also scrambled onboard, most already burdened with a serving table atop their heads, from what Pikie's limited view could grasp. What could barely be considered a line had formed, the elites at the back for the most obvious reason- their orientation would take the longest out of anybodies. 

___________

Eff leaned against the purple walls of The Massive, her hands now holding the tablet instead of her less clumsy and more efficient PAK legs. The tall Irken's yellow eyes looked a duller color than usual and her expression was that of boredom- one she commonly adopted. Other Irkens stood around, each also holding a tablet that was with no doubt chock full of information about each and every new arrival. Eff watched as scientists scurried elsewhere down the hallways, obviously well briefed on the layout before even arriving.

What Eff  _ didn't _ get was that they still had to brief the elites on their purpose in the ship, and their posts, despite the Control Brains already directly giving them all info that was needed. It  _ was  _ tradition- at least, what  _ Bile  _ thought. From what Eff had researched, showing elites around their assigned quarters was a necessity, never anything regarded as traditional.

She had brought it up with him, actually, when she had learned of it.

_ "My Tallest," Eff said, standing to his right behind him. Bile didn't answer, instead looking down at a tablet he held in his hands. She had just come back from her lunch break, having disciplined a few subordinates who had acted out with assigning them temporal positions in physical labor aboard the ship. Somewhat harsh for what they had done, but important to put observers in their place.  _

_ "My Tallest." The advisor repeated herself, slightly more stern. The other Irken sighed, his shoulders rising and falling dramatically. "What?" Tallest Bile sounded exasperated, like an adolescent Irken that was arguing with the Control Brain itself about their assignment. "The instructions here, on my tablet- they don't make any sense. Why should I brief anybody coming onboard at my current position? That's a job reserved for navigators." _

_ Bile turned around, sighing again, although less dramatic. "Well, none of the navigators here really  _ want  _ to, soooo… I assigned one of the positions to you! Isn't that great honey?" Eff narrowed her eyes, holding down hundreds of words of protest. "Yes.  _ Great. _ " _

_ Of course, that's probably just an excuse.  _ Eff yawned as she narrowed her eyes at the Irken elites that stood across from her. They didn't bother talking to her?

But, of course, they obviously expected her to snap at them or worse if they  _ dared  _ talking to her. Sometimes, Eff wished she wasn't so tall. "Hello, elites." The advisor barely glanced at them, merely comparing their faces to the ID photos contained on her tablet. She noticed one in particular, though. His name was Pikie. In his picture, he looked tired, almost asleep.

Looking up from her tech, he looked similar to the tired state he retained in his photo. His pale skin stood out as unnatural- his purple eyes that were a very dark shade didn't help. Each elite shifted uncomfortably, obviously anticipating something bad. Eff was too, actually. Something was going to have to go wrong- the ships "curse". 

Putting the inevitable out of her mind, Eff stood at attention, her posture tall and assertive. Walking towards them, one of her PAK legs put her tablet into the backpack-like metal on her back, retreating along with it. "Alright, soldiers. You're obviously familiar with the layout of the ship and where you need to go, but due to My Tallest's  _ intelligence _ , he has decided that briefing elite soldiers who are already acquainted with what they have to do is a good use of my time."

"Come along."

___________

Eff sat in her room, holding her face in her hands. She absolutely  _ hated  _ how formal she had sounded when briefing those elites. She sounded just like her commander that she had trained under when she was attempting to become an invader. If only that had been her path in life. Her tablet rested beside her on her soft bed, blackness reflecting her face. Picking up the thin square, Eff turned it on. Blue light engulfed her face, somewhat lighting up the relatively dark room. 

The only positive of the day was that nothing had gone wrong. Yet.

Tapping on the photos section of the interface, she looked at the pictures. This had been a tablet handed down to her from the former advisor: most of the gallery contained photos of distant planets and pictures of himself. A few pictures of Eff herself had been transmitted to the tablet, courtesy of the Control Brain.

Eff couldn't bring herself to delete the photos of the ex-advisor. His name had been Fixk, and was now deceased. She had briefly met with him when he was resigning, planning to be reprogrammed to a menial job. Why? Fixk had never disclosed  _ that  _ detail. Despite only being acquainted with the male, Eff didn't delete the photos when she came into possession of the tablet. It felt too cruel to delete what somebody had made during their short existence.

Turning off the tablet, Eff stood up. She left her darkened room and walked towards the control center. It was the front of the Massive, where the navigators and the Tallest himself resided for most of the day. She had decided that some work would take her mind off things; perhaps an assignment to punish a few service drones would be enjoyable to a small degree.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not much happens in this chapter but that's because I wanted to seperate something that was originally in this chapter and put it in the next; there would be too many POV cuts otherwise.

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fic on AO3 so please exscuse me if I'm not fully utilizing tools on her.
> 
> Chor's name is pronounced "Core".
> 
> *Lunar Cycle = 1 month


End file.
